President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Carolina congressman Mick Mulvaney as his budget director, naming a tough-on-spending conservative and an advocate of balancing the federal budget to the important post.
An official on Trump's transition team, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter before it is officially announced, confirmed Trump's pick Friday evening.
Mulvaney, 49, was elected in the 2010 tea party wave and is a founder of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, whose members pushed former Speaker John Boehner from power and have caused heartburn for current Speaker Paul Ryan.
As director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mulvaney would be responsible for crafting Trump's budget and overseeing the issuance of major regulations.
Mulvaney's nomination would require Senate confirmation.
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement:
"Mick Mulvaney has devoted his congressional career to pushing tax cuts for the rich while leaving Medicare to the whims of the insurance companies and Social Security to the whims of the stock market. Now Donald Trump wants to leave our entire federal budget to the whims of Mick Mulvaney. I urge the Senate to protect working Americans by rejecting his nomination. If a vacancy in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District does arise, voters will be looking for a candidate who will fight to ensure that the new administration looks out for them, not just Trump's Republican cronies."

WASHINGTON (AP) —

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Carolina congressman Mick Mulvaney as his budget director, naming a tough-on-spending conservative and an advocate of balancing the federal budget to the important post.

An official on Trump's transition team, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter before it is officially announced, confirmed Trump's pick Friday evening.

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Mulvaney, 49, was elected in the 2010 tea party wave and is a founder of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, whose members pushed former Speaker John Boehner from power and have caused heartburn for current Speaker Paul Ryan.

As director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mulvaney would be responsible for crafting Trump's budget and overseeing the issuance of major regulations.

Mulvaney's nomination would require Senate confirmation.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement:

"Mick Mulvaney has devoted his congressional career to pushing tax cuts for the rich while leaving Medicare to the whims of the insurance companies and Social Security to the whims of the stock market. Now Donald Trump wants to leave our entire federal budget to the whims of Mick Mulvaney. I urge the Senate to protect working Americans by rejecting his nomination. If a vacancy in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District does arise, voters will be looking for a candidate who will fight to ensure that the new administration looks out for them, not just Trump's Republican cronies."